Improvement in dead-center lifts



UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT Ottica.

Janus J. eonMAN, or OTNGTNNATI, oHTo.A

IMPROVEMENT IN DEAD-CENTER LIFTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 46,102. dated January 3l, 1865.

.those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the'same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same, the line .00, Fig. l, indicating the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. l

The object 'of this invention is to prevent a crank from stopping at thel dead-centers, and to produce a device by which the reciprocating motion of a steam-piston or other prime motor can be converted into continuous rotary motion without the necessity of a balancewheel.

The power acting on the crank is transmitted to the same by means of two pitmen or connecting-rods, placed at right angles to each other, or nearly so, and applied to the crank in such a manner that either one or the other ofthe same acts on the crank under an angle of atleast forty-tive (45)degrees,and consequently the friction of the crank-shaft in its bearings is reduced and a larger percentage of power is obtain ed than by the ordinary arrangements designed for the same purpose.

In order to throw the crank over the deadcenters, a springis applied which is gathered upas the crank approaches its dead-points, and which is connected with said crank in such a manner that itA assists in throwing the same over the dead-points and prevents it turning in the wrong direction. A suitable mechanism applied to the spring serves to adjust the same according to the power which it is expected to exert, and a suitable reversing-gear serves to change the mechanism so that it can be made to work in either direction.

A represents a rod-such as the piston-rod ofa steam-en gine-to which areciprocating mo tion is imparted by steam or any other competent power. This rod connects with the crosshead B, which is connected byapitman, G, with the crank D, to which a continuous rotary motion is to be imparted. In order to throw the crank over the dead-points, it connects by a pitinan, E, with a working-beam, F, which oscillates on the shaft a. Said working-beam receives its motion partly by the action ofthe -crank D and pitman E and partly by a bellcrank lever, F'i, which has its fulcruni on a stud, bi, and to which an oscillating motion is imparted by the action of tappets b b', secured to a rod, G, which is connected to the crosshead B. It' the cross-head moves in the direction of the arrow marked on it in Fig. l of the drawings, and when the crank has arrived in the position shown in red outlines in said figure, the tappet b comes in contact with the bell-crank lever Fit, and as the rod G proceeds in the direction of said arrow the workingbeam F turns in the direction of the arrow marked near it, and the pitman E acts on the crank D and urges the sameon in the direction in which it travels. In order to allow the pitman E to act on the crank without i-nterfering or being interfered with by the motion of the cross-head, the pitman G is provided with a slot, c, in its end, so as to permit the crank to advance independent of said pitman.

By referring to Fig. l of the drawings it will be observed that either one or the other of the two pitmen, C E, acts on the crank under an angle of forty-five degrees or more, and the friction in the bearings of the crankshaft is thereby materially reduced.

The connection between the bell-crank lever F* and working-beam F is effected by the .connecting-rod H, oscillating lever I, and

springJ,and the several parts are so arranged that said spring J is gathered up or strained as the crank D approaches its dead-centers, and when the motion of the cross head stops the spring is broughtinto action and the crank is lifted over the dead-points without the assistance of a fly-wheel or other equivalent device. Without the spring the friction is reduced, but the deadcenter is not avoided. The power of the spring is adjustable by means of sliding bearers d, which are connected to each other by a spring, c, that has a tendency to draw the same together, and by a pair of toggle-arms, j', by which said bearers can be spread. The toggle-arms are hinged to a slide, g, which moves up and down with a vertical rod, h, rising from the spring J, and said y slide connects by a working-beam, i, and link j, with the arbor or rod, 7c, that forms the fulcrnm ot' the working-beam F, and to which a longitudinally sliding motion can be imparted by means of a screw, I, acting on an oscillating rod,w. The connection between the screw and rod 7c is made iu such a manner that by turning said screw in one direction the rod k is moved out, and by turning the screw in the opposite direction the rod is drawn in. It' said rod moves in the direction ot' the arrow marked on itin Fig. 3 of the drawings, the toggle-arms F are spr ad and the bearers d are moved apart, causing them to reduce the efieJ-tive length of the spring J, and consequently to increase its tension; but if the rod 7s moves in the opposite direction, the bearers d contract and the tension of the spring J is reduced.

In order to be able to reverse the motion of the engine, the crank D connects also with a pitman, E', working'bearn F', and so forth, as clearly shown in Fig. l ot' the drawings; and tie rod G is arranged so that it can be turned, causing the tappets b b to act either on the end of' the bell-crank lever Fit, as shown in the drawings, or on the end ot' the bell-crank lever F The connection between this beltcrank lever and the working-beam F is precisely the same as that between the bell-crank lever F* and the working-beam F, and the action of the spring J throws the crank over the deadcenters in a direction opposite to that in which l the same is moved by the spring J. The reversing-gear is operated by a hand-lever, L, which is held in an arched segment, M, with three notches, n u n2. It' the leveris brought into the noth u, as shown in the drawings, the tappets b b are in such a position that they actuate the working-beam F. It the lever is brought into the notch nz, the tappets actuate the workingbearn F', and the motion ot' the engine is reversed. If the lever is brought in the notch n', the tappets do not come in contact with either ot' lthe bell-crank levers F* Fi, and the dead-center lift is thrown out of gear.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The reciprocating rod G, with tappets b b', working-beam F, and pitman E, in combination with the pitman C and crank D, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Making the rod G reversible and conibining it with working-beams F F, pitmen E E', and crank D, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The expansion-bearers d d, applied in combination with the spriu g J, pitman E, and crank D, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

JAS. J. GORMAN.

Witnesses M. M. LrvINGs'roN, C. L. ToPLIFF. 

